The Time Has come
by loopyem89
Summary: The Time Has Come for Miranda to walk away


**_Ok so this is not beta'd and all mistakes are mine... As usual all characters etc don't belong to me._**

**_Enjoy :-)_**

**The Time Has Come**

With her hand pressed against the cold glass of the window, Miranda Priestly stood silently staring out into the night sky that encased New York City. She should have been going over the photos from the day's previous shoot for the new spread but the editor in chief couldn't muster the strength to do so and not for the first time. It would seem in the last few months that long days in the office followed by late nights where she questioned herself and her life at Runway were becoming more of an occurrence. She wasn't kidding herself; she knew it would all eventually fade and become a distant memory. There would be a day when she was no longer in control of Runway. There would come a time when no one would seek her out for her opinion or approval. Her power would diminish and she may be lucky enough to leave behind some legacy at the magazine. Yet, what surprised Miranda more than anything was the fact she no longer seemed to care despite after spending so much time and effort, not to mention countless sacrifices in her personal life trying to consolidate her status and position in the fashion industry.

A sigh escaped her lips as she took one last glance outside before and tried to muster the strength to turn her attention back to the work at hand. She moved to return to her desk only to find none other than Andrea standing in the doorway, watching her.

"You've been staring into the darkness for the last 10 minutes hardly moving and you didn't notice my presence, you must have been deep in thought. What's on your mind my love?"

The young woman made her way over to where the editor sat, knelt down and took soft, warm hands into her own

"In all honesty Andrea I'm not quite sure…I think I am tired of it all."

Her lover flashed that beautiful smile of hers which never failed in lifting her mood.

"Then let's say we call it a night and head on home."

"No Andrea, you misunderstand me. I'm beginning to think the time has come."

"The time has come for what Miranda?"

"To walk away from Runway and relinquish my position as editor in chief."

Andrea said nothing; she merely leaned back a little and looked at Miranda with a shocked expression. The idea of Runway without Miranda at the helm was something she struggled to imagine.

"Oh, Ok…if that's how you feel. What's brought this on?"

"I'm old Andrea…"

Miranda quickly moved to silence the younger women's objections

"I am not getting any younger darling, despite what you may think."

She glanced wistfully at the photo of her twin girls which took pride of place in her office.

"The magazine has been a part of my life for so long that it's hard for me to let go…but then I also know that it no longer passionately drives me as it once did. The endless incompetence among my employees, disastrous photo shoots, long meetings…they are no longer what I want."

Andrea stood and pulled Miranda up, gently taking her into her arms.

"You've given them everything Miranda and if you want to walk away then you've got nothing left to prove. You don't owe these people anymore"

The young woman brought her hand up to rest against the side of the editor's face, her thumb slowly caressing the soft skin of Miranda's cheek.

"I think your mind is already made up my love. This month's issue is pretty much ready to go to print in the next couple days and we can just right up your last letter from the editor at home and email it in for them to publish. A phone call to Irv in the morning to give him your decision will suffice and then it's just another to Leslie to deal with the press."

A slight feeling of panic had settled over the older women as Andrea had laid it all out to her

"It's as simple as that?"

"It's as simple as that. We could leave it go for a few weeks if you would prefer and then make a big announcement at the charity gala but deep down I don't think you would want all the attention."

Her love was right. Maybe a few years ago she would have made a grand announcement to the fashion world but now she would rather bow out without as much fuss as possible.

Miranda stepped away from Andrea, silently taking in the 4 walls and everything within them that made up her office. Could it really be that easy for her to walk away from it all? Runway had been her life for 20 years and yet has she stood on the edge of letting it all go she could honestly say there was nothing else left for her to do. She had achieved everything she had set out to do and more but at what cost? She had two failed marriages behind her and she couldn't count the number of times she had been absent when it came to Caroline and Cassidy.

"I've missed out on so much because of my devotion to Runway and I think I want to use what time I've got left to focus on you, the girls, our family."

Miranda reached and grabbed hold of Andrea's hand, placing a gentle kiss upon it.

"Ok, go grab a box for me darling. I will clear my desk and anything else I want can be sent to the townhouse."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely Andrea, I want to leave of my own accord whilst I am still at the top of my game and the time has come for me to do so. Runway is no longer where I want to be."

And so the two of them proceeded to box away the few items Miranda wanted and as she switched the light off and took one last look around the office that had been like a second home, she didn't feel as sad as she thought she would. Instead there was only a little apprehension and an overwhelming sense of relief and gratitude. Runway had taken so much out of her but also at the same time given her more than she thought possible, the biggest thing being the person standing right beside her.

"I'm here for you Miranda. We'll figure everything out."

The older women leaned in and pressed her lips to Andrea's, who held on to her lover tighter. She didn't doubt for a second she was making the wrong choice.

"You ready?"

"Yes, let's go. I imagine the girls are probably wondering where we are by now."

Hand in hand, she and Andrea walked to the elevator and towards the life they shared together. Not once did she look back.


End file.
